Medical implants for use as replacement structures in patients have become widespread in their application. In particular, orthopaedic implants for replacing joints or other structures have received a great deal of attention commercially and scientifically. Oftentimes, orthopaedic implants have a porous metallic surface, which is situated adjacent to bone.
Promotion of early implant fixation, in lieu of cement or other adhesives, and growth of bone to the implant are important considerations. Fixation proceeds by bone growth from the host bone toward the implant surface, which can typically begin about three weeks after the implant is inserted into a recipient. Progressive stabilization of the implant is achieved once the new bone bridges the gap between the implant surface and the original adjacent bone surface. Thus, to improve implant fixation, it can be advantageous to develop new methods and materials that can help promote bone attachment to non-cemented implants by, for example, promoting new bone growth.